1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving control apparatus, in which a motor generator connected to a crankshaft of an engine is controllable. A power module is provided for transmitting an engine power drive to the side of a driving wheel through a clutch. A hybrid vehicle is provided with the driving control apparatus.
2. Description of Background Art
A hybrid vehicle mounted with an engine and an electric motor as a vehicle power drive sources is known. See, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-350310.
In the hybrid vehicle disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-350310, the electric motor is operated with a torque value greater than that for starting the engine when a operating mode is changed from a motor operating mode to an engine operating mode. This is done to prevent an engine starting lag.
In a power unit of a hybrid vehicle, the connection and disconnection of the power drive from an engine side can be accurately controlled by means of an electromagnetic clutch, a hydraulic clutch, or the like. With a scooter type compact motorcycle or the like, it has been lately studied to adopt a speed sensing type clutch, such as a centrifugal clutch or the like that connects or disconnects the power drive according to a rotational speed on the side of a crankshaft (an input side).
In a hybrid vehicle using the speed sensing type clutch for connecting and disconnecting the power drive between the engine side and the driving wheel side, an attempt may be made to open an accelerator again for acceleration after the accelerator has temporarily been returned during operation. In such instances, it can at times take some time for the rotational speed on the crankshaft side (input side) to return to a level, at which the clutch can be connected.
With this hybrid vehicle, it takes time for the rotational speed on the crankshaft side (input side) to return to the level, at which the clutch can be connected, even by attempting to open the accelerator widely for sudden starting or other needs. It can therefore happen that it takes time to switch from a motor drive to an engine drive and thus only insufficient starting acceleration performance can be derived.